Chunky Guacamole

A couple of days ago, I fed this yummy guacamole to a few friends who showed up to play Yomi with me and Rick. Today, I doubled the recipe and shared with Rick's co-workers. They all loved it!

Gamer approved.

I found this recipe last year in an issue of The Costco Connection. My dad is a Costco member and the magazine was in the house when I randomly flipped through the pages and found this recipe. Good find, Joanna, good find. =)

Chunky Guacamole
makes 2.5 cups

1 medium tomato, finely diced (about 1 cup)
1/2 small red onion, finely diced (about 3 tablespoons)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt
2 large Hass avocados (one pound total), cut into 1/2-inch dice

1. In a medium bowl, toss the tomato with the onion, cilantro, lime juice, red pepper flakes and salt. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
2.  Add the avocado and gently mash it into the tomato mixture with a fork. Serve immediately with your favorite tortilla chips.

Nothing like a good ol' guac bowl!

Like nuts, avocados are high in fat and it's understandable that some people might want to avoid it for this reason. However, this lesser known fruit is high in all sorts of nutrients and the kind of fat that they contain (monounsaturated fats) is really healthy for the heart.
Avocados are a great source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and potassium (they have even more potassium than bananas!). The tomatoes in the dip help add a good dose of lycopene, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and manganese. Talk about a healthy snack!

Nutrition Facts
(for every heaping 1/2 cup)

Calories: 175
Fat: 14.9g
Carbs: 12g
Protein: 2.5g
Fiber: 7.5g
Calcium: 21.1mg

If you ask me, these facts are pretty great for a heaping 1/2 cup serving. I usually eat less than that and many store-bought guacamole dips have much more calories in two tablespoons. Perhaps the tomatoes add a lot of bulk to this recipe, which lessens the caloric impact of the hefty avocados.
Nonetheless, I'm quite proud that my first attempt of making my own guacamole was a success!